A closer look at the first cannabis restaurant to open in the US

Lowell Cafe in West Hollywood will become the first cannabis restaurant in the country.

“For over a century we’ve been forced to hide cannabis consumption out of public view, but that time is now over. We’re proud to announce Lowell Cafe – America’s first cannabis cafe serving farm fresh food, coffee, juice and cannabis daily. Sit on our patio, order a meal, have a conversation and experience cannabis together,” Lowell’s ​website​ says ahead of its September opening.

The first to obtain a fully legal cannabis consumption license, ​Lowell Cafe​ will cater to cannabis connoisseurs and novices alike. The menu was designed by cannabis chef Andrea Drummer to “enhance your cannabis experience – which can heighten your sense of taste and smell” and will change daily based on the harvests available at local farmers markets.

Aside from the delicious meals from Drummer, who competed on the Netflix series ​Cooking on High, guests of the Lowell Cafe will also be offered a ​flower menu featuring pre-packaged flowers, vapes, edibles, concentrates , and extracts. ​Budtenders or ​flower hosts at Lowell’s will help guests with picking out the right product.

However, no cannabis-infused dishes will be offered in the restaurant. Envisioned as a cannabis version of wine pairing, Drummer shared some of her thoughts on weed strains and complementing food.

“A kush is a little more pungent, so it pairs better with a stew, or something like a beef or a meat product. A lighter lemon profile goes nicely with a fish,” Drummer told the Washington Post.

The cannabis chef says that Blue Dream, one of her personal favorites, “pairs well with both savory and sweet. I’ve done it with ice cream, and with bread puddings, but I’ve also done it with octopus.”

The restaurant installed a custom air-filtration system along with plant purifiers and has set up two patios – one for smoking, the other a designated smoke-free area.

Although recreational weed is legal in California, it remains illegal to consume cannabis in public. Luckily, in 2017 West Hollywood approved public consumption of weed in cafes and lounges that hold a special license.

Still, alcoholic drinks will not be served with cannabis at the Lowell cafe as the combination of alcohol and pot in California is a no-go.